Washington tidal project awaits finer tides

The application to surrender the license for the Admiralty Inlet Pilot Tidal Project submitted by the Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) has been accepted by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

On December 4, 2015, Public Utility District of Snohomish County, Washington, USA, the licensee for the Admiralty Inlet Pilot Tidal Project filed an application to surrender its license stating that the project is no longer economically feasible.

The PUD was granted the license for construction, operation, and maintenance of the project for a period of ten years on March 20, 2014.

The unconstructed project would have been located on the east side of Admiralty Inlet in Puget Sound, Washington, about 0.6 miles west of Whidbey Island, in Island County, Washington.

The project works would consist of two 300 kW OpenHydro tidal turbines each mounted on a triangular subsea base, connecting cables extending onshore approximately 2 km long, and onshore supporting facilities.

In September 2014, the licensee was notified that it would not receive additional funding to proceed with the development of the project. Unable to locate alternative funding sources, the licensee determined that the project is no longer financially feasible.

On March 21, 2016, FERC issued its order accepting the Admiralty Inlet tidal project’s license surrender.

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